New Champion - Nami Sneak Peek

New Champion - Nami Sneak Peek

Hey folks,

As Ive been hinting at for a little while now, the next champion is our new support character. While well get to the details on her in the next few days, I wanted to pull back the curtain on what support champion means when we set out to create one.

First up, lets discuss the differences between support characters, and the lane assignment of support  they overlap a lot, but theyre not the same:

Support characters are defined by being assisters and enablers for their allies  this is the core support psychology we want to achieve. Good examples of these characters are Janna, Lulu or Sona.

Support as a lane role is any character that can thrive on less gold, and has a strong lane presence  either offensively or defensively. Characters from the previous definition often fit here, but other characters go here a lot. For example: Leona is a tank, but plays the support role in a team. Alistar is a little of both because hes a great linebacker.

So, with that out of the way: when we talk about a support character (like Nami  the new one!) we mean the first definition. Zyra, while able to play the support role, is not a support champion by these definitions  shes more like a mage with an off-spec.

So, why should you care about Nami? Let me tell you!

She brings a combination of defensive utility (including a way to heal in combat situations!) and offensive set-up

Shes the water caster that youve anticipated for a long time  with a support leaning

Shes a regal mermaid  an archetype I think we can agree is a needed addition to the League lineup

Her offensive setup features a skillshot-style paradigm, something supports have only really had with Lulu; we wanted to expand a bit

While this is the concept art and the final has changed (as all concepts do through development), shes drawn by the ridiculously talented Gem Lim

Weve learned a lot of lessons from our supports, and think Nami shows how we can make a character who satisfies the core support psychology, and is healthy for the game. And with our commitment to developing a variety of champions, youll be seeing more supports coming next year  so this is far from the last example of that.

Look for more exact details, including skills and more art, in the upcoming days  and you will be able to check out Nami on the Public Beta Realm soon, too.

Too bad that when a fed enemy AD carry crits your target ally's face for 750+ dmg every half a sec (hi trist, vayne, kog) healing him even for the same amount is gonna be pointless.

Most of the times healing is not the answer outside of the laning phase. The best things Soraka (just to point out a healing champ that is slightly lackluster atm) can offer to her team lategame are the Armor buff, 2,5 sec silence on the enemy AP carry and her passive. The sheer amount of healing of her R+W to save a target or to counter AoE is ok too, but that's her CC, auras and buffs that are still keeping her relevant lategame. Same goes for Taric, Sona, Alistar, etc.

This is even more true for kill-lane supports, which are proving that you don't necessarily need heals to support, but you definitely need CC, debuffs and utility.

Looking forward to see what she brings. All the ideas presented sounds good. But please tell me how defensive utility, heal and offensive set-up is something new? Taric, Sona... well all them supports brings this. So it's redundant to mention. A way to heal in combat - give more teaser or just call the donkey by its name: She has a heal.

I don't agree we NEEDED a mermaid archetype in LoL. I actually think that comment was pretty stupid, now if it was tongue in cheek just go ignore me. I also don't think that some water dudette is all that. Really the graphics in the game are more needed to quickly identify what is going on and who is who when the action gets fast and furious.

Yeah but we still need variety among the achetypes. Imagine if Darius wielded a sword instead of his axe. How much harder would it be to differentiate him from Garen/Riven? (think like you're a new player here)

Well that's not what Ned Stark taught me, but i don't know who between you and him knows better. Now that i think of it his E wouldn't work either.

Anyways my point was that Riot can do better than having a bunch of similarly-armored, same-weapon-wielding guys fighting each other with similar moves (we all know LoL already has its share on that regard), when they can make original stuff thanks to the wildly permissive universe.